Image Pack Optimization for AEO: Getting Images Featured in Google Packs and AI Overviews
Image packs are the horizontal rows of images that appear in Google search results for queries where visuals are helpful. When your image appears in a pack, it gets significant extra visibility - and the same signals that put you in an image pack also make your images likely to appear in AI Overviews. The core optimization: good alt text, descriptive file names, and ImageObject schema telling AI systems exactly what your image shows.
Image packs appear in approximately 31% of Google search queries. Optimizing for image packs is increasingly a dual-benefit strategy: traditional SERP image visibility AND AI Overview visual citation use the same signals. A fully-optimized image with ImageObject schema, precise alt text, and original photography serves both goals simultaneously.
See also: Image Optimization AEO and Rich Results Overview.
Image Pack SERP Anatomy
5 Ranking Signals
Alt text precision
Alt text is the primary textual signal Google reads for image understanding. For image pack optimization, alt text should: (1) describe the image content precisely in 5-12 words, (2) include the target keyword naturally, (3) avoid generic phrases ('image of', 'photo of'). Contrast - BAD: 'image.jpg' | GOOD: 'Person installing smart thermostat on white wall'. Google's image models parse alt text as the primary text label - the highest-leverage single-element optimization for image pack inclusion.
ImageObject Schema
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ImageObject",
"@id": "https://acme.com/images/thermostat-install-step3#image",
"url": "https://acme.com/images/thermostat-install-step3.jpg",
"contentUrl": "https://acme.com/images/thermostat-install-step3.jpg",
"name": "Thermostat wire connection step 3",
"description": "A licensed electrician connecting labeled thermostat wires to the corresponding terminals on a Nest thermostat backplate, demonstrating correct wire-terminal color matching.",
"caption": "Step 3: Match each labeled wire to the terminal. Red (R) goes to R; Green (G) goes to G.",
"width": { "@type": "QuantitativeValue", "value": 1920, "unitCode": "E37" },
"height": { "@type": "QuantitativeValue", "value": 1080, "unitCode": "E37" },
"representativeOfPage": false,
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Jane Smith",
"url": "https://acme.com/author/jane-smith"
},
"datePublished": "2026-02-15",
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}